Werewolf Movies

Woe to the werewolf.

Hollywood has not been kind to our hairy hound of hellacious howling. In fact, tinsel town has been downright cruel with movies not even a junkyard dog would enjoy – lowly affairs like “Silver Bullet”(1985), “Howling II” (1986), “Wolfen” (1981), and “An American Werewolf in Paris” (1997).

And please don’t make me watch “The Howling – New Moon Rising” (1994) because I might just shoot myself with a silver bullet to make it go away.

The werewolf has been neglected. While the vampire continues to wow Hollywood with big budget affairs like “Interview with the Vampire” (1994), “Blade” (1998), and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992), the werewolf is regulated to B (even C) movie status.



The cold hard fact is that creating a good werewolf story is difficult because the storyline is so structured: bitten by wolf; slow build to the full moon; transformation; rampage; and then (usually) death. It's not easy to insert an original narrative into the werewolf tale. Werewolves are animals -- savage beasts that growl, spit, and howl. Vampires, on the other hand, are suave, cultured, and wise with centuries of contemplation. As an actor which creature would you prefer to play?

But there is hope. A glimmer of hope, anyway.

There have been a handful of werewolf movies worthy of viewing. There’re not all gold mind you – but at least they aren’t rusty pieces of old scrap iron.

Here's my list of “Seven Werewolf Movies that Don’t Totally Suck.”

The Howling (1981)
Joe Dante’s film is the grandpappy of the modern werewolf movie and the first movie in the franchise most responsible for taking the werewolf genre into the gutter. But let’s stress the positive, shall we? First, the werewolves in “The Howling” are among the best on screen. They’re scary, savage, and completely creditable.

We even get a plot here. News anchorwoman investigating a murder stumbles onto a rogue werewolf. She journeys to “The Colony” (a coastal community in Northern California) with her husband and discovers that the rustic town is an outpost for werewolves.

Silver Nugget: All the werewolf characters are named after famous werewolf movie directors of the past.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
For a long time, “An American Werewolf in London” was the best werewolf movie ever made. It’s now second best. Two Americans are backpacking through the English moors and attacked by a werewolf. One is killed and the other, David, is mauled.

Waking up in a hospital, David falls for the nurse and ends up moving in with him. But as the full moon comes, David turns into a werewolf in what may be the best make-up transformation of man into wolf ever filmed.

Then he kills a lot of people.

The movie is a bit disjointed and can’t decide whether to be a comedy or a horror flick (so it’s both), but it’s a genuinely good movie despite being about werewolves.

Silver Nugget: David Naughton, the lead actor, was cast after director John Landis saw him in Dr. Pepper commercials.

Teen Wolf (1985)
When a Michael J. Fox comedy makes the list – you know werewolf movies are in trouble. But despite its overall blandness, “Teen Wolf” is kind of fun in a “Sixteen Candles” meets “I Was A Teenage Werewolf” kind of way.

Fox plays a high school nerd playing on a terrible basketball team. Then he starts changing and his dad informs him that he’s inherited his werewolf genes. Suddenly, Fox is the star basketball players and the most popular kid at school.

Silver Nugget: Fox was 24 when he starred in the movie.

Wolf (1994)
Hollywood’s first attempt at a big budget werewolf flick and it flopped. This may be the most unsuccessful Jack Nicholson movie of all time – and it also has Michelle Pfeiffer and James Spader. But this movie is pretty good nevertheless.

Nicholson plays a has-been literary editor at a publishing house. Just before he gets the boot in favor of his younger rival (Spader), he’s bitten by a wolf and starts his glorious transformation from milquetoast to werewolf. There’s more here about becoming middle-aged that werewolf mythology (which might be why the film didn’t do very well).

Silver Nugget: Sharon Stone turned down the Michelle Pfeiffer role.

Ginger Snaps (2000)
Werewolf aficionados love “Ginger Snaps.” I’m lukewarm on it, but considering the competition – it makes the list. The movie, directed by John Fawcett, starts out with a lot of promise. Two attached-at-the-hip Goth sisters get their relationship challenged when the oldest, Ginger, is attacked by a werewolf.

The movie degenerates into a cliché ridden murder fest, but the strong performances of the cast make up for the poor writing and directing.

Silver Nugget: Lucy Lawless is the voice over the school’s PA system.

Dog Soldiers (2002)
The best werewolf movie ever made. Here it is. The tagline says it all: “Six Soldiers. Full Moon. No Chance.” Director Neil Marshall doesn’t shy away from the fact that he’s making a B-movie horror flick. Instead he embraces it.

What we get is a squad of British soldiers trapped in a secluded cottage as they are relentlessly attacked by a pack of werewolves (actors in cool costumes and make-up) rather than CGI animation. The result is just great fun.

Silver Nugget: The character of Sgt. Harry G. Wells is named after author H.G. Wells, the favorite writer of Marshall.

Underworld (2003)
“Underworld,” one can argue, is really a vampire flick. Hard to argue back because the main character is a vampire and most of the movie is told from a vampire’s point of view. But the premise of this ambitious and surprisingly effective film is the ongoing war between vampires and werewolves.

Selene (played by Kate Beckinsale) is death dealer, a vampire who hunts werewolves, but when she falls for a werewolf, she needs to decide which side she’s really on. Lots of action and great werewolf effects.

Silver Nugget: The original pitch for the movies was a crafty “Romeo and Juliet between vampires and werewolves.”

 

Did you copy and paste all that? Can't agree with all of it.
Underworld is souless sh*t for teen goths and younger viewers. It's not a horror film, no moreso than Van Helsing is anyway, just a popcorn piece of fluff.

Wolf..?? Are you trying to be funny? High concept (rubbish) relationship flick with a supernatural twist, this film was dull dull dull, even with the immortal Jack camping it up.

Anyway..

 

Underworld sucked
Wolf sucked

and i wouldnt put teen wolf and ginger snaps in a top werewolf list.

instead how about the wolfman? or wolfman in london?

Theres a huge demand for vampire movies, theres a huge fucking vampire community, they just released a documentary about the vampire sub culture of the states. Im not talking real vampires, just the people who think theyre vampires, get the teeth surgery, do all that stuff. You dont see people going "MAN I WISH I WAS A WEREWOLF! WOOOO!"


and thriller?

 

My point is: there are few good werewolf movies. These ones are the half-way decent ones.

I thought "Underworld" was a pretty good flick -- and Wolf was given three stars by none other than Mr. Ebert.

 

Theres your problem, Ebert is a self-righteous egotistical bitch.

All of his reviews just go back to how important he is, how knowledgeable he is, and how hes done everything first.

Hes a douchebag.

 

Don't hold back. Let it all out.

 

I hate the lack of werewolf movies. I loved dog soilders. I loved underworld too, but I do agree that it's vampire movie. However, the werewolves did look pretty wicked.

 

Presumably you didn't think the big blue hairless ultimate vamp/werewolf crossover looked good though. He might as well have been a giant smurf.

 

True, and fair enough.

Can't agree there, personally.

The name means nothing to me, but surely 3 stars is only average? Who gives a review best out of three?

 

Satan.

 

His scale is one to four stars.

If you don't agree -- lay down some of the names of werewolf movies you think rate.

 

Well Wolven is a million miles above Underworld for a start, even if it's not massively successful overall. Other than the Jesus-mentioned The Wolfman, or the Oliver Reed starrer Curse of The Wolfman, you've mentioned all the others. Obviously American Werewolf is the best. It's a classic in every sense of the word. Dog Soldiers also rules.

 

Awwww ooohhh werewolves of london...........Awww ooooh werewolves of london...

 

Stephen King's Silver Bullet..awesome movie.

 

Best werewolf movie I've seen to date was Ginger Snaps. Now I'm curious about the sequels.

American Werewolf was silly, funny and now looks somewhat dated. It's enjoyable.

Though MANY people loved Underworld, I did not. Shadows don't do it for me. That's a lot of what this movie was. There were NO characters I cared about in it. That ruins a story for me right there. I wanted to see it for the vampires which is one of my fav fictions but they sucked too. Sucked. Ha ha.

Wolf was okay. I dimly remember it from long ago as okay. *shrugs*

Teen wolf was okay for a silly comedy type thing.

Dog Soldiers I want to get.

The Howling didn't work for me when I saw it eons ago.

 

I don't think that underworld was sucks like what "Jesus the Jedi" said in this forum...Underworld is great werewolf/vampire movie...And the story is so cool...

DVD CORNER
AMAZING TV SHOWS

 

I liked the Ginger Snap movies. They're not going to change your life or anything, but I thought all three of them where at the very least entertaining/fun from beginning to end.

I don't really consider Underworld much of a horror movie, even if it does have horror-mythology integrated into it. That seems more along the lines of an action movie.

"Bad Moon" was a good werewolf flick, as was "In the Company of Wolves".

 

Dog Soldiers was awesome.

 

When I was about 6 or something I watched the Goosebumps werewolf movie. It freaked me out so badly that until about 3 years ago, I've always been freaked out at wolves and the whole werewolf concept.

 

I was kid when I first saw The Howling
and it blew me away


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